PHOTOS: Sri Sri's healing touch to Assam riot victims

Sri Sri's healing touch to Assam riot victims

Renowned spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, on Wednesday visited the riot-hit districts of Chirang and Kokrajhar in Assam with the objective of healing the wounds of the recent clashes. He visited several relief camps and interacted with the inmates.

Soon after his arrival from Guwahati, Sri Sri visited the relief camp at Kajalgaon Higher Secondary School in Chirang district. Addressing a large gathering of Bodo inmates, he advised them to face the tragedy with courage and prepare to reclaim their life.

He urged them to go back to the villages with the feeling of belongingness. "It's really painful that such a tragedy has happened in our country," he said adding that The Art of Living is there with them.

Sri Sri's healing touch to Assam riot victims

At the Basugoan camp of Muslim inmates, he enquired about their safety and comfort. Sri Sri expressed his concern over the conditions of many elderly inmates and spoke to them personally. He told the inmates who have gathered to receive him that with God's grace, things would come back to normal soon.

In Kokrajhar, he visited the Vidyapeeth High School camp and interacted with the inmates, listening to their woes, and consoled them to face the tragedy with courage. In his bid to help the inmates overcome the lingering trauma, he advised them to see whatever has happened as a bad dream and pray for a better tomorrow.

Many inmates shared their helplessness with tears in the eyes. Many regretted how long-standing harmony among different communities has been destroyed by the current riot. He reassured them that The Art of Living will work for rebuilding the trust.

In all the relief camps, Sri Sri distributed relief materials such as clothes, baby- food, toiletries, etc. to the inmates. He said that The Art of Living has brought reputed Ayurvedic doctors to provide holistic health care to the inmates. In the coming days, check-up camps will be set up in almost all relief camps.

Sri Sri's healing touch to Assam riot victims

In Kokrajhar, Sri Sri held a series of meeting with the representatives of various organisations including All Bodo Student Union, Bodo People's Front, BPPF and academicians from Kokrajhar University and discussed ways and means to end the conflict and find long-term solution to the problems of Bodoland.

The representatives of ABSU also submitted a memorandum to the spiritual leader. He also had a separate meeting with the representatives of All Bodo Minority Students Union at Bongaigoan and listened to their point of view. He urged them to work for a harmonious and peaceful co-existence of all the communities in the Bodoland.

Later addressing a press conference in Guhawati on Thursday, Sri Sri commented that mistrust and fear in the people of Assam will take time to heal and added that the Art of Living is playing the role of removing them.

He regretted that vote-bank politics has been played over Assam. He called for a lasting political solution. "Assam is sitting on time bomb," he said.

Image: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar meeting representatives of various Bodo organisations at the Kokrajhar Circuit House